Alien biology

[Stumblebum]

As mankind gets set to venture to future worlds in the next century or so I was wondering if biologists are preparing for what life, if any they may find. First, is there a name already coined for alien biology or should there be a contest to come up with one? Are there plans already in place or is there ongoing discussion about what to expect? What type of precautionary measures have been discussed if any? Where will possible alien life be studied? Seems to me that some kind of strategy is definitely necessary.

[Sayonara]

It's called exobiology, or "astrobiology" if you're feeling a bit excitable.

[Aardvark]

Xenobiology or Exobiology, your choice.

 

Check out the website for the NASA Astrobiology Institute http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/.

 

And the Nasa Exobiology website

http://exobiology.arc.nasa.gov/

[Sayonara]

There is a slight difference between those two - xenobiology would apply to the study of previously unknown life found on Earth, and exobiology would not.

[Stumblebum]

At least it seems as if these groups are going in with the attitude that they expect to find something. I like that, very positive. I hope it pans out. I looked at the definition of exobiology and it included life here on Earth such as origin of. I think they couls still come up with something more extraterrestrial.

[Aardvark]

Are you sure? From what i have read xenobiology applies to extraterrestrial life and to the possibility of artificialy created life, not to life on this planet that was previously unknown.

 

Or are you refering to different concepts of life rather than unknown species? For instance a form of life on Earth that didn't use DNA? In which case i see what you mean.

[Stumblebum]

It sounded like an attempt to link everything to life here, sort of like coming up with a grand theory for life. At least thats how I saw it

[Sayonara]

Are you sure? From what i have read xenobiology applies to extraterrestrial life and to the possibility of artificialy created life' date=' not to life on this planet that was previously unknown.

 

Or are you refering to different concepts of life rather than unknown species? For instance a form of life on Earth that didn't use DNA? In which case i see what you mean.[/quote']

Well yes, both those forms you mentioned as well as unknown life on Earth. Xeno~ meaning 'foreign, different', as opposed to exo~ meaning 'outside'.

 

Exobiology is the more specific term if you are only talking about life off Earth.

[Aardvark]

Xeno~ meaning 'foreign' date=' different', as opposed to exo~ meaning 'outside'.

 

Exobiology is the more specific term if you are only talking about life off Earth.[/quote']

 

Point taken, but i've never heard xenophobia being used to describe hatred of homosexuals, a group considered 'different' by some. It is used exclusively to describe those who have different national or racial origins.

 

Maybe the word 'exophobia' should supplant 'xenophobia'.

 

Pedants of the world unit!

[Sayonara]

Pedants of the world unit!

Must... restrain... self... from pointing out the... obvious mistake... ARGH!

[Stumblebum]

Just out of curiousity. Is there a name or word for when aliens study us? There are those who claim to have been poked, prodded and probed by ET.

[-Demosthenes-]

Exobiology is what Star trek uses, so it must be good.

[Stumblebum]

Trekkies live for moments like this. Live long and prosper.

 

ps...McCoy's little flashing analyzer that he waved over a body, human or alien, was there a name for it? Think we'll ever see something like that?

[Gilded]

"Point taken, but i've never heard xenophobia being used to describe hatred of homosexuals, a group considered 'different' by some. It is used exclusively to describe those who have different national or racial origins."

 

Probably because there is already "homophobia", so why use "xenophobia". It's like screaming "Look, an organism!" instead of "Look, a bird!". And I personally have heard of using "xenophobia" when discussing the "fear" of homosexuals.

 

"Pedants of the world unit!"

 

Hmmh, I wonder when my Pedant Club member card comes in the mail.

[Ophiolite]

ps...McCoy's little flashing analyzer that he waved over a body, human or alien, was there a name for it?

Surely that is a tricorder?

Just out of curiousity. Is there a name or word for when aliens study us? There are those who claim to have been poked' date=' prodded and probed by ET.

[/quote']Not a word, but there is a phrase - "over-active imagination"

The fear of being poked, prodded and probed by aliens is homoprobia phobia.

[Stumblebum]

Tricorder... by george I think you've got it. Should be part of every first aid kit. The phobia list continues to grow longer I see. Good one.

[Aardvark]

"

 

Probably because there is already "homophobia"' date=' so why use "xenophobia". It's like screaming "Look, an organism!" instead of "Look, a bird!". [/quote']

 

Yes, homophobia is a word used, but again an argument could be made that it is the wrong word. 'homo' meaning same as. Therefore homophobia means fear of the same, not fear of homosexuals.

 

It's like screaming 'look it's an ape' when looking at a chimpanzee, rather than 'look it's a monkey'.

 

Welcome to the Pedants of the world club.

[Ophiolite]

It's like screaming 'look it's an ape' when looking at a chimpanzee' date=' rather than 'look it's a monkey'.

 

Welcome to the Pedants of the world club. [/quote']You're the one who brought up pedantry.

A chimpanzee is an ape, not a monkey, or was your allusion even more complex than I thought?

{Also, screaming in the vicinity of apes can alarm them. In captivity this can make them unhappy, in the wild they are liable to attack.}

[Aardvark]

You're the one who brought up pedantry.

A chimpanzee is an ape' date=' not a monkey, or was your allusion even more complex than I thought?

{Also, screaming in the vicinity of apes can alarm them. In captivity this can make them unhappy, in the wild they are liable to attack.}[/quote']

 

I brought up pendantry as self deprecating humour, and Guilded then asked for a membership card, sorry you missed the joke.

 

Yes, i know a chimpanzee is an ape, that was the point, the importance of correct use of language.

 

As for the screaming, i regularly do it when watching wildlife documentarys on TV, it's what makes it so much fun. A good primal scream or two to get in touch with my inner ape, what could be better?

[Sayonara]

I brought up pendantry as self deprecating humour

Which I had thought I highlighted quite well in post #10.

[Gilded]

Perhaps we should turn down the pedantry-switch and discuss some alien biology.

 

(And why does everyone call me Guilded Well, two people at least. )

[Aardvark]

:

(And why does everyone call me Guilded Well' date=' two people at least. )[/quote']

 

Whoops. Sorry.

 

As for Alien biology, i'm going to guess that it will at least follow the theory of evolution, i believe the principles have universal application.

 

From observation of this planets biology where life has not succesfully adapted to such areas as the Antartic ice cap, and only to a lesser extent to deep deserts it seems likely that alien life would be similiarly bound by temperature restrictions, probably based on the availability of liquid water.

 

Of course alien life could have started from a comletely different form not even requiring any water, but this seems like a likely scenario.

 

I welcome any comments to the contrary from anyone with an understanding of how life might arise in different circumstances.

[Ophiolite]

They call you Guilded because your posts are so informed they think you are a group of people (like a guild) rather than a Golden Boy. (smiley not working for me today. Just imagine one here)